Red Laced Cornish X and project talk (pics p. 8)

[Minniechickmama]

Well, just cooked up a WLRC from McMurray last night that I raised up this spring. I can't say as I am dissatisfied with the quality of the carcass on this one

If I hadn't had to raise it for 4 1/2 months to get it to look like this, it would have been even better. It was quite comparable to the CRX I had butchered at the same time. makes me wonder why I bother raising the stink bombs.

 

[Illia]

You're kidding! THAT is a Murray McMurray Cornish?!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Not kidding. They needed work on type, and their coloring was a mess, but they had nice meat on them. I would raise those any day over the CRXs if it didn't take so long to raise them comparatively. They dressed out a lot nicer than the 2 DC cockerels I put in the freezer last year. I do have one DC roo from MM that is a year and a half old

who has been my top of the roost roo for the past year. He has great width and overall size, but he really lacks breast. The WLRs were much meatier and carried a much better breast. If you are looking strictly meat quality, they were nothing to sneeze at. I sold off some of the pullets and what I have heard back from those buyers is all positive. The only lay a medium egg, but they do lay fairly well. Of course, being hatchery stock, they should lay something.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Wow!
My hatchery sourced WLRCs were nearly identical in carcass shape to the same age EEs.

 

[Minniechickmama]

After putting them in the freezer, I had sort of regretted doing all of them. I may get another batch in the spring and see about working them into my mix of meat birds.

 

[Illia]

Yeah, if I find that McMurray can offer birds like that more than just the one time I'm tempted (gasp! me getting hatchery stock again!) to get a few for cross-breeding, see how it goes.

 

[Minniechickmama]

The whole batch was like this. I had 14. The girls were just and breasty and meaty as the boys. They beat their DCs as far as my experience has shown.

 

[Tracydr]

Wow, when I'm able to get away with raising roosters I'll consider getting some of those. Nice! I don't really care if the color is off or not.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Actually, the color is pretty, almost a Jubilee looking pattern, but not quite.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Since this is the Meatbird thread, I guess I should remember that color is not relative here. I admit, however, that I do like colorful birds.

I noticed at Crossroads that the true pattern specified in the SOP was weak even in the breeder's birds; though on average the WLRs there were heavier framed and muscled than the Whites. It could be that the Cornish bantam show breeder, that told me that crossing Darks and White Laced Reds back and forth can muddle color and patterns on both, is correct. It must take a very specific combination of genes to get that single, crisp white lace on the edge of a solid dark red feather.